Hurried, chaotic footsteps echoed in the hospital corridor, the harsh sound bouncing off the white walls and clawing at the heart.
Turning a corner, Leclerc saw his mother. "Mom!"
A plump, pear-shaped woman stood up. She had a blonde mullet hairstyle, short in front and long in back, and large peacock feather earrings that swayed gently as she opened her arms to embrace Leclerc. He buried himself in her hug, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Beside them, a young man with similar features but a softer face and a neatly trimmed beard stood up. He wrapped his arms around both of them. "Dad is okay. Charles, he's out of danger. Dad is okay."
Across the hallway, another figure was curled up on the floor, hugging his knees, his head buried so deep only a messy mop of hair was visible. Hearing the words, he lifted his head, glanced at them, said nothing, and buried his head again.
Leclerc looked up, disbelief written all over his face. "Lorenzo, what do you mean? Dad is okay?"
The bearded young man nodded. "The doctors resuscitated him. He's stable now. They're running comprehensive tests."
Leclerc couldn't believe his ears. He looked at the woman for confirmation. "Mom?"
She was Pascale Leclerc. "Yes, it's true. He's okay now. Your father's heart stopped, and Arthur and I were terrified. We were worried the race weekend traffic would delay the ambulance, and if we hadn't made it in time..."
"But it's okay. Charles, it's okay. We made it to the hospital. Your father is fine."
The tension in Leclerc's shoulders finally released. His knees gave way, and he slumped onto a chair.
He looked up and saw the boy curled up on the floor. They exchanged a glance, a brief smile touching their lips before fading, the lingering fear dragging their hearts back to the ground.
At that moment, Lorenzo Leclerc, Charles's older brother, finally noticed Kai standing behind them. "Charles?"
Leclerc looked at his brother, confused, then followed his gaze. He finally regained his senses, realizing he had completely ignored Kai. He grabbed his messy hair with both hands. "Kai, I'm sorry, I..."
Kai waved his hands dismissively. "No, don't worry about me. Since Mr. Leclerc is okay, I'll get going. Just..." Before leaving, Kai walked over to Pascale. "Mrs. Leclerc, I'm Kai. I hope your husband recovers well."
Leclerc explained, "Mom, this is the friend I told you about. He drove me here."
Pascale stepped forward and gave Kai a big hug. She tried to say something, but her voice choked in her throat, unintelligible. She just patted Kai's back gently, expressing her gratitude through the gesture.
Kai knew he shouldn't linger. This was a private family moment. But if he left without greeting the elders or introducing himself, Jiang Mo would scold him for having no manners. Although the timing was awkward, he had tried to be polite, but missed his chance to leave.
Just as he was about to say goodbye, the sound of a gurney rolling down the hall reached them. Leclerc noticed it first. "Dad!"
With that cry, everyone's attention shifted.
Hervé Leclerc lay in the hospital bed, being pushed back to his room by nurses.
Watching the family swarm around the bed, Kai felt it would be rude to leave without saying goodbye now, so he stood obediently to the side, trying to be invisible.
From a distance, Hervé looked exhausted, clearly having just survived a crisis, but his eyes were bright and alert.
His hair was messy, his complexion poor, and his body had lost its shape after years of illness. He looked almost nothing like the handsome Leclerc brothers, lying pale and weak in the bed, like a stranger.
However, in those clear eyes, you could still find the trace of the brothers. Even the torment of illness couldn't steal that light.
In that one glance, Kai understood where Charles got his sharpness and resilience.
It was a false alarm. Thank God.
Looking at his family gathered around him, Hervé smiled, his gaze lingering on each of them with the relief and emotion of a survivor. Then, he saw Kai standing in the back, clearly not one of the Leclerc boys.
Hervé studied him. "...Kai Zhizhou?"
He said the name accurately, though the pronunciation was a little funny.
Kai instantly became the focus of attention. He felt out of place. The whole Leclerc family was there, yet the first name Hervé called was an outsider's. He wasn't good at these situations, but he had to step forward.
"Mr. Leclerc."
Hervé finally saw him clearly, his eyes brightening. "The race in Barcelona was magnificent. Charles used to mention you all the time, and now we all know why."
He just survived a near-death experience, and the first thing he cares about is... racing?
Kai glanced at Charles, who shrugged helplessly. Kai looked back at Hervé. "It seems Charles has been saying nice things about me. Thank you so much for the Christmas gift; my mother was very touched when she found out. Thanks for looking out for me. Though, I wish Charles would say those nice things to my face. He never tells me anything. I had no idea he admired me so much."
The joke lightened the atmosphere.
Leclerc protested. "Hey! I didn't. I don't."
Kai ignored him, waving a hand dismissively.
Hervé chuckled, but before he could speak, a violent cough took over.
The smiles vanished instantly. Everyone tensed. Hervé noticed and patted Pascale's hand as she rushed forward. "I'm not that fragile. I've been sick for a long time; a minute or two won't kill me."
Then, Hervé looked at Kai again, smiling as he extended an invitation. "This Christmas, if you're still in Europe, don't stay in Maranello. Come to our house. Christmas should be spent with family and friends."
Kai felt a warmth in his chest. "I've always wanted to try a turkey dinner. If you don't mind my giant appetite."
The lanky boy next to them—Arthur—mumbled, "Turkey is for Thanksgiving..."
Hervé looked at him sharply, but before he could speak, another cough threatened to erupt.
Kai quickly changed the subject. "We shouldn't block the hallway and disturb the other patients. Let's get into the room first."
This time, Hervé didn't refuse.
Leclerc let out a breath, mouthing "Thank you" to Kai.
Kai watched them enter the room and exhaled. He didn't follow them in. He stayed outside, leaning against the corridor wall. The tension finally left his body, and the fear and panic hidden deep in his heart slowly began to fade.
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